FeNO Testing
Last updated: September 2024
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FeNO testing could lead to savings of £147 million, and by improving patient adherence it has been predicted that there could lead to savings of £292 million in the UK.3
In the UK, asthma leads to around 60,000 hospital admissions per year and costs £6 billion, which includes productivity and quality of life costs.3,4 Poor asthma control is linked to higher expenses, accounting for up to 75% of all asthma-related costs.5
As poor asthma control accounts for such a large percentage of asthma costs, getting patients asthma under control could help to bring this down.5,6 Regular in-person asthma assessments, including after an exacerbation, are important to monitor your patient’s asthma, keeping it under control and reducing further risk of exacerbation and hospitalisation.7,8
One test you can implement into this assessment to help understand your patients’ asthma control is FeNO testing. FeNO stands for fractional exhaled nitric oxide and offers a way to directly measure the level of Type 2 airway inflammation in a patient’s lungs, associated with the most common type of asthma.2,9,10
It is quick to perform, with an actionable measurement given instantly at the point-of-care.9 It can help you to visualise if your patient’s asthma is under control; if they are adherent to medication, on the correct medication, have correct inhaler technique, and predict future exacerbations.10-13
FeNO has been shown to be cost effective by identifying non-adherence in patients with difficult-to-control asthma.6,14 FeNO testing can help reduce the risk of exacerbations by up to 50%, resulting in fewer hospital admissions and costs associated.15,16
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FeNO is highly sensitive to inhaled corticosteroids, and studies have shown that it can help to titrate dosage, ensuring your patients are on the best-fit medication for them.12,18 FeNO can also help optimise the use of biological therapies, identifying responders for a “right first time” approach, saving costs of therapies that are unlikely to work.6
A report by Asthma and Lung UK, estimated that FeNO testing could lead to savings of £147 million, and by improving patent adherence it has been predicted that this could lead to savings of £292 million in the UK.3
Studies have consistently shown that FeNO leads to cost savings when implemented into asthma care.6,18-21
A 2021 study by Buendia et al., looked at the cost savings for management of asthma in children.21 FeNO-guided asthma management cost $1330 per patient, compared to $1452 with usual care, resulting in a saving of $118 per child and an increase in QALY.21 These savings are not negligible, considering that asthma affects 10-13% of children. 21
Another study by Price et al. (2009), determined that asthma management using FeNO measurement instead of lung function testing resulted in annual cost-savings of £341 in patients with mild to severe asthma, and savings of £554 in patients with moderate to severe asthma. 20
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Overall, implementing FeNO and a wider use of this simple and non-invasive asthma test, could help to reduce costs associated with asthma.3,20,21 It is important that patients’ asthma remains under control, to allow them to live their lives as symptom-free as possible. The secondary benefit of this is the potential for reduced asthma-associated costs and relieved strain on healthcare resources.3,4,15,20,21
Did you know that FeNO testing is covered by QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework)? Check out our handy QOF calculator to see what your clinic could be compensated for implementing FeNO into your asthma care.
* NIOX®. Data on File; MKT-DOF-007. 2024.
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